Propeller for vehicles



J. H. NYENHUIS.

PROPELLER FOR VEH ICLE S. APPLICATION FILED FEB- 5' I911.

1,305,401. Patented June 3, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

. NVE TOR. WITNESSES:

1. H. N YENHUIS.

PROPELLER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5. I917.

Patnted June 3, 1919,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NY EN TO J. H. NYENHUIS.

PROPELLER FOR VEHICLES.

APPUCATION FILED FEB. 5. I91?- Paten ted June 3, 1919.4

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

% INVENTO I BY aizc ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES:-

m: Noanls PETERS cm. Pnomuma. WASHING mu. n c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OHN HENRY NYENHUIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROPELLER FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J une 3,1919.

Application filed February 5', 1917. Serial No. 146,552.

has more particu ar reference to farm tractors and the like.

A p incipal object of this invention is the provision of a tractor or other vehicle in which a propeller is incorporated; and of well balanced construction; and having its component parts constructed and arranged 'to develop maximum propelling force upon the ground through the utilization of minimum power.

My invention contemplates the provision of a propeller from the surface of which will extend blades adapted to enter into' soft and yielding ground. here these blades extend out from the propeller in fixed position with respectto the carrying wheel or drum, the portion of the blades successively disposed beneaththe surface of the ground must be given a backward swinging action, this for the reason that the surface of the ground contains a temporary axis for such blades, the part of the tractor located above the ground moving ahead and the part below consequently swinging backwardly. This causes displacement of a large part of the subjacent earth at an expenditure of considerable power, particularly where the tractor is heavy and therefore packing the dirt as it rolls over it. An object of the invention is to provide a propeller, the blades of which will not be thus afifectedinangularity and can consequently be projected directly into the ground and removed along their entering path of travel causing merely an incision instead of earth displacement.

Other objects and advantages of the invention are the provision of such mechanism which will be readily adjustable, likely to require little repair and of simple and economic construction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

' Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tractor provided with a propeller embodying my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the propeller; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view, certain of the parts being broken away and shown in sections to disclose particular features of construction.

011 the drawings, reference character 11 indicates generally the main or tractor frame. The showing of this frame on the drawing is little more than diagrammatic, its particular construction being unimportant to the consideration of the present invention. It carries, however, a pair of front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13 mounted on suitable axles 14 and 15 having bearings 16 and 17 beneath the frame. In order that the tractor may be properly balanced the motor, generally indicated at 18, is mounted at one side and the propeller, generally indicated at 19, on the other. These parts preferably do not differ appreciably in weight and each is disposed upon a side of the longitudinal center of the main or tractor frame. A main power shaft 21 extends across the frame and is mounted in suitable bearing brackets This power shaft, through chain drives 23, transmits power to the rear wheels 13 which are the wheels used to drive-the tractor in travel over hard or firm ground and under normal conditions. The motor in the present instance is a gas engine connected through a clutch 24 to a gear 25 on a stud shaft 26, said stud shaft carrying also a gear 29 meshing with a gear 30, upon the main power shaft. The propeller already men tioned is provided to drive the tractor through soft ground and when the driving wheels 13 prove insuflicient. This propeller is mounted in a propeller frame, which propeller frame is pivotally mounted upon the main power shaft 21. It comprises two side arms 31, each secured at an end upon the main power shaft and connected by a cross member or brace '32 and adjacent the ends, having bearings upon the main power shaft, and at the other end by an angle member 33. The side arms 31 extend downwardly at an angle from the main power shaft 21 and r active propelling parts. Two bearing brackets 3% are formed beneath the propeller frame and at opposite sides in which brackets are mounted two crank arms and 36, these two crank arms having a ourna'l 37 in the brackets, the outer end of which journal is connected with a yoke 38, the purpose. of which will be later described. The other ends of the crank arms for-m bearings for the propeller axis 39 upon which is mounted what may be termed a propeller Wheel; this wheel, in the present instance, comprising a pair of multiple arm spiders i1 which carry projectable blades 42. The two spiders are fixed to common central sleeve i3 having flanges ii engaging the spiders so that both spiders turn together.

The crank arm 36 provides a bearing for a regulating disk i5, which disk is continuously driven by a chain drive atfifromthe main power shaft 21 through two sprockets, one Men the main power shaft and the other 4-8 fixed on the disk. The disk is provided with a plurality of bearing apertures i9 in number equal to the number of radial arms of each soider. Each blade is pivotally mounted in a pair of appropriately arrai'iged spider arms and at one side is provided with a crank arm 51 extending into anaperture in the disk. Each blade 42 is fixed to itsarm 51 and consists ofside-arms and 53, preferably of sturdy angleiron construction. The side arms 53, z. 0., the arms at one side are rigidly fixedupon journals 5% extending into the hearings in the ends of the arms of theadjacent spider, and the arms 52, 2'. 6., the arms at the other side are fixedly secured upon the ends .55 of the crank arms 51 which ends are journaled in the hearings in the ends of the arms of the other spider. As will 'benoted from viewing Fig. 3 the crank-arms 51 are'disposed angular-1y with respect. to the side arms 52and 53. Since the propeller wheel is eccentrically-arranged with respect to the disk,- rotation of the disk will impartrotation to the propeller wheel and causethe blades to be projected throughout a part only of the travel of the wheel. The rota-- tion of these two members causes the propeller arms to maintain a fixed parallelism with respect to each other, the angularity of which is determined by the shifting-of the disk with respect to the axis ofthe wheel. This shifting is accomplished by moving the yoke 38already mentioned and this yoke terminates in an upwardly ex tending manipulating lever or handle 56 having a tooth 57 engageablein a locking rack segment'58 upon the propeller frame. The construction of the parts is preferably such that the blades are presented to the ground in true edgewise fashion so that they need merely cut into the ground theirangularity with respect thereto being maintained by the disk. This arrangement causes the blades to enter and leave on the same will be noted that ifthe manipulating lever 1 or handle 56 be moved away from the shaft 21, the arms 35 and 36-will be elevated, lift-' ingthe wheel and shifting also all of the propeller blades causing a' projection thereof at a POllli'rtlbOVQ the ground. The lower end of the, propeller frame issupported also from the-main frame by a pin or rod (31' pivoted at' one end to an arm 62 of a bell crank shifting lever 63 and extending through'the angle member 3,3. A spring 64. renders this a yielding connection and permits' the propeller frame to be lifted should the blades in their action encounter any obstruction in their operation. The lever 63 may be set in any position by engagement with a locking rack-segment 65 as shown in Fig. 1. A clutch 71 may be inserted, if desired, between the main power shaft 21 and the sprocket 47 thereon.

It will be manifest from the foregoing that the propeller blades enter and leave the ground without displacing any appreciablepartof the earth, andthe structure is simple, sturdy and efficient.

It will also be manifest from the fore going that thepropeller is located in line with a frontand rear wheel at one side of the main tractor frame and that the central part of the frame need be provided with no parts extending down toward the ground thus permitting the tractor to pass along and above a row of corn or other. growing plants without mashing the same. Furthermore, such an arrangement permits the hooking on of a series of plows, cultiva'tors or other implements behind the tractor and preferably inline with the side of the tractor provided with the. propeller so that the drive is direct, and the tractor need not run upon theground already plowed or cultivated in the immediate preceding travel across the field.

It will be manifest also that the blades de scribed'and. projectable from the propeller wheel or drum may have anydesired shape.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changesmay be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a tractor or the like,the combination of a frame, a wheel support therefor, a propeller having driving blades projectable into the ground, said blades having a reciprocatory movement into and out of the ground along the same line of movement and without appreciably disturbing the material of the ground.

'2. I11 a tractor or the like, the combination of a frame, a Wheel support therefor, a propeller having a rolling plane on or above the surface of the ground and having a blade projectable therebefore and into the ground, said blade having a reciprocatory movement into and out of the ground along the same line of movement and without appreciably disturbing the material of the ground.

3. In a tractor or the like a combination of a frame, a wheel support therefor, a wheel carried by said frame, driving blades mounted on the Wheel projectable into the ground to propel the vehicle, means of maintaining the same angularity of the blades with respect to the ground.

4. In a tractor or the like a combination of a frame, a wheel support therefor, a wheel carried by said frame and driving propeller blades carried by the wheel and projecting at a predetermined point in the travel of the wheel and into the ground, and entering and leaving the ground at the same line of travel and means for altering the point of projection.

5. In a tractor or the like the combination of a frame, a wheel support therefor, a wheel carried by said frame, propeller blades pivotally mounted in said wheel, each having an arm, a disk to which said arm is pivotally connected, said disk having an eccentric movement and means for shifting the eccentricity of said wheel and disk.

6. In a tractor or the like the combination of a frame, a wheel support-therefor, a wheel carried by said frame and having driving blades arranged in permanent parallelism with each other and means for altering the inclination of said blades.

7. In a tractor or the like, the combination of a tractor frame, a motor carried by the same on one side,-of its longitudinal axis, a propeller frame mounted upon the other side of its said longitudinal axis, and a propeller wheel carried in said propeller frame, whereby said motor and propeller frame distribute their several loads at the sides of a central axis.

8. In a tractor or the like, the combination of a tractor frame, power driven wheels for the same adapted to drive the tractor under normal conditions, and a propeller located at a side and in line with a front and corresponding rear wheel, said tractor being unobstructed centrally and longitudinally to permit the tractor to pass over a row of corn with its ground engaging parts dis posed. along opposite sides thereof.

9. In a tractor or the like, the combination of a tractor frame having a front and rear Wheel in substantial alinement at a side of said frame, a propeller located midway of said frame and in substantial alinement with said front and rear Wheels, and means on the other side of the central axis of the tractor for balancing the load and weight of said tractor.

10. In a tractor or the like, the combination of a tractor frame having a front and rear wheel in substantial alinement at the side of the frame and a propeller Wheel located midway the length of the frame and in substantial alinement with said front and rear wheel.

Signed in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HENRY NYENHUIS.

Witnesses:

' ETHEL Woon,

M, EDNA BARRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

